I recently attended a funeral and the well-known scripture from John was read: “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” [John 14:2] As I heard this, I thought about that phrase, ‘prepare a place for you.‘ To me this sounds like getting a guest room ready; getting ready for a visitor. I had visions of putting clean sheets on a bed, dusting, vacuuming, making sure there’s a reading light accessible from the bed and some empty hangers in the closet. I go to prepare a place for you. Hearing this, I imagined Jesus like a maid in a hotel. It was an uncharacteristic musing about Jesus to be sure.
As I pondered this, not only is it ridiculous, but it is also fitting. Jesus was a servant. He served others. He called his followers to serve others. So we should not be surprised at associating discipleship with service, even menial service. In the story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet, we are shown that there is no work too humble or too menial for Jesus. Nothing is “beneath” him. He is a humble servant.
As we think about Living Love in this season of Lent, we want to remember that to live love will likely involve serving others in ways that are basic and menial. We should not shirk from this. This is love in action. We are called to love God, ourselves, our neighbors, our enemies, and the earth. This may even mean getting our hands dirty! Oh, and remember, we are told of Jesus squatting down and writing in the dirt!
Prayer: We find our highest good by loving. May we never be afraid to love, even when it gets hard and messy. Nothing was beneath Jesus. He chose humility and service. May we do the same. Amen.
Lakewood United Church of Christ 